A Single White Rose
The night was an inky dark one, lit only by the full moon, for no stars shone. It was fitting, Albus Dumbledore thought, that even the heavens seemed to mourn the passing of so many years.
The students had noticed that anything seemed to set Severus Snape into a cold fury. Moreover, today Potions had been canceled, the lab hall completely blocked to all students. The professor had not come to breakfast, lunch (which was not unusual), or dinner (which was). Even a summoning through the internal Floo network produced nothing.
Albus knew why he had shut out the world on this day. Over 20 years had passed since Lenore Snape, eldest of the family, had passed away. Her death had been a senseless one, where in truth no blame could be cast. The truth of her attack was kept secret, for it would hurt the family reputation for it to be widely know of such a crime. Family came first, lives second.
Lenore Snape had been mauled by a werewolf, dancing in her parent's garden late one moonlit night. She was wearing her wedding gown, in anticipation of the event in a month's time. She had been an easy and unresistible target for the animal.
Of coarse, it had been destroyed, but too late for lost Lenore.
*****
Now there was only one Snape left. Severus' parents had long since been killed and as yet there was no special someone in the potion master's life. The duty of remembering the dead fell to him to perform.
After removing the wizard's lock on the door, Albus stepped quietly inside. He stopped instantly, his breath caught at the scene before him.